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Tudor Family
House of Tudor is the ruling Royal Family of England, Ireland (nominally) and Wales during The Tudors, ''created as a result of the War of the Roses between the Houses of York and Lancaster. The Tudor dynasty was the last English Royal House to originate from within ''England (the Tudors' successors originated in Scotland, Holland and the German States) until the establishment of House Windsor during World War I. Although one of the shortest dynasties in England/ Britain- ruling barely more than a century- the Tudors facilitated the transformation of England into a Protestant country, developed the Royal Navy, centralized and increased the power of the government, established and increased English presence in Ireland, and produced among its' five monarchs two of England's most famous rulers: Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, both of whom appear in the series. Background and course of the Tudor Family in history: The Tudor dynasty ruled from 1485 to 1603 and contained five monarchs. It was born out of the conclusion of the War of the Roses, the civil war between the English Houses of York and Lancaster- both of which were cadet branches of the Plantagenet dynasty (the original ruling family in England) and both of which had claims to the throne. War of the Roses The War of the Roses waged on and off from 1455-1487, during which the Yorkists initially won many victories and remained the dominant faction. Although most of the legitimate Lancaster claimants were killed, their followers continued to resist Yorkist rule sporadically for nearly thirty years. When Richard III of York was crowned in 1483, despite being a legitimate member of the Plantagenent dynasty (and backed by the powerful Howard family), Yorkist popularity fell sharply, as it was rumored that Richard had murdered his nephews (the former heirs to the throne) in the Tower of London. As Richard's harsh policies incited further unrest, the pro-Lancastrians were gradually able to add discontented Yorkists to their ranks. In 1485, a young Anglo-Welsh nobleman, Henry Tudor, was named the Lancaster champion for the throne, despite lacking a particularly strong claim; Henry and his supporters set about gathering an army to challenge King Richard directly. That same year, the two rivals and their forces met at Bosworth Field; Richard was killed during the ensuing battle, and Henry, backed by his supporters, declared himself King Henry VII of England. The following two years saw Henry ennobling many of his most loyal supporters- and executing several prominent battlefield opponents/rivals who had continued to resist him, including the father of Thomas Howard (who would later become Duke of Norfolk and harbored strong resentment towards the Tudors because of this). Feeling these reprisals were necessary (but knowing they would make him enemies), Henry immediately attempted to secure his claim to the throne in the eyes of the Yorkists by marrying Princess Elizabeth of York. As a result, his new heraldry was a white rose (symbol of the House of York) upon a larger, dominant red rose (House of Lancaster). Thus, with the birth of their four children (Arthur, Henry, Margaret and Mary) the House of Tudor was established, with the surviving claimants of Houses York and Lancaster forfeiting their claims. Henry VI: Rebuilding from Civil War Henry VII was a cautious, intelligent and frugal King, carefully consolidating the resources of his relatively small country after decades of civil war, with the result that the Royal treasury had a large surpluss of gold at his death. In The Tudors, Henry VIII (his son and the main character of the series) describes his father as shrewd, careful, and "a businessman". He initially had hostile policies with Scotland, but later settled these by arranging a betrothal between his daughter Margaret and King James. To secure his country abroad, Henry also made an alliance with Spain after the Houses of Castille and Aragon united that country; he had his son Arthur, Prince of Wales, betrothed to Isabella and Ferdinand's youngest daughter, Catherine of Aragon. Arthur died shortly after the marriage, which was unconsummated, so King Henry obtained Papal dispensation and re-married Catherine to his other son, Henry. This is another event frequently mentioned in the first season of The Tudors; Henry VIII speculates that he was married to his brother's widow because "My father didn't want to lose her dowry... or the prestige of a Spanish marriage". Henry VII also established an English presence in Ireland and declared himself Lord of Ireland. In practice, however, the English only controlled the port of Dublin and a small surrounding area during Henry VII's reign; many Irish lords and clans continued to act of their own accord beyond this small sphere of influence. Henry also constructed a small fleet of powerful warships, but it was his son and granddaughters who developed it into a real Navy. Less is established about Henry's actual personality, as in both public and private life he was a rather asocial person, except when attending to matters of state. Note: Henry VI is the only Tudor monarch who is never shown in The Tudors. Henry VII's reign: August 1485 to April 1509 (24 years) Henry VIII: Half Innovator, Half Monster On his death in 1509, Henry VII was succeeded as King by his son Henry VIII, the central character of The Tudors. Although much more social and outgoing than his father, Henry was also more impatient, which (as shown in the series) proved to be a great weakness to his role as a national leader. Henry's reign coincided with both the Renaissance Period and the rise of the Protestant Reformation in central Europe, as well as the rise of Spain (England's on-and-off ally/rival) as a great power. Henry implemented several vital changes to England during his 38-year reign, the most central of which was the English Reformation. Although Henry was never a serious believer in Protestantism, like his father he feared greatly for the survival of the Tudor dynasty; he and Catherine had only one surviving daughter, Mary, and no sons (traditionally England had NEVER had a Queen Regnant). In the 1520's, unable to gain Papal dispensation to re-marry and produce a legitimate son (partly due to foreign pressure from Catherine's nephew Emperor Charles V), Henry instead turned to several prominent Reformers in the English court- including his love interest, Anne Boleyn- who convinced him to declare himself Head of the English Church and annul the marriage himself. As Henry approved further reforms, monastic houses were increasingly closed down and their wealth transferred to the royal coffers; clergy privileges were sharply reduced, centralizing and increasing the power of England's government. Unfortunately, Henry's increasing self-indulgence and warmongering squandered all the new revenue he gained, putting England deeply in debt. It also gained hostility from the powerful Habsburg Empire, France, the Papal States and even many of the English people- as demonstrated by the only rebellion during Henry's reign, the Catholic-led Pilgrimage of Grace. Henry eventually rolled back on many of his reforms, but never completely removed Protestantism from his new church; the Lutheran and Catholic factions within his court continued to fight a shadow war throughout his reign. Henry also expanded his father's minute territory in Ireland (an area outside Dublin known as "The Pale") by bribing or making marriage-alliances with Irish nobles in some of the southern counties, and he eventually declared himself King of Ireland. However, the Anglo-Irish and Irish nobles obeyed English laws when it was convenient for them; most were determined Catholics who opposed Henry's Reformation, and several minor rebellions occured. Meanwhile, Henry warred back and forth with Spain and France ( both of whose monarchs he saw as personal rivals), nearly always ransoming back anything he gained to pay off his debts. He made betrothal alliances with both countries on several occasions, but they were never followed through. Henry had more success against Scotland; after a period of hostility known as "the Rough Wooing" which ended with a Scottish defeat at Solway Moss, Henry managed to cow them into submission. Henry is also credited with establishing the Royal Navy, which gave England relative safety from the rest of Europe to compensate for its' smaller army; he was fascinated by warships, and greatly expanded the small but formidable fleet inherited from his father. Once the annulment from Catherine was declared in 1533, Henry married a pregnant Anne, but was disappointed when she produced a daughter (Elizabeth) just as Catherine had. Impatient and pressured by Anne's many enemies, Henry had her executed on trumped-up charges of adultery in 1536 after just three years of marriage, promptly remarrying to Jane Seymour. She finally bore him the son he desired, but died from post-natal complications less than two years after her marriage, to Henry's grief. Henry would go on to marry three more times before his death, but produced no other legitimate children. Before his death, he restored both his daughters to the succession after their younger brother Edward(since Catherine and Anne's marriages had been annulled, Elizabeth and Mary were thus 'illegitimate'). While Henry in his youth was an enlightened, energetic and generous man, keenly interested in the innovations of the Renaissance, he became increasingly self-indulgent, egotistical and brutal as his reign progressed. He constantly cheated on his Queens, and in 1536 received a jousting wound that gave him ulcers and infections for the rest of his life, gradually causing his obesity and shortened temper. While keenly determined to rule, Henry tended to delegate many matters to his chief ministers (such as Cardinal Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell) but then blame them for any failures. Far more people were executed during his reign than that of his father- either because they 'failed' him in some manner and were then framed for treason, or because he suspected them of plotting to usurp him. Henry VIII's reign: April 1509 to January 1547 (38.5 years) Edward VI: Boy King and Protestant extremist Henry died in 1548. His son and successor, King Edward VI, was still a minor, and thus his uncle (Edward Seymour) was made Lord Protector of England. Although his mother Jane had been a Catholic, Edward had been raised by Protestants (his Seymour uncles, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer and Henry's last wife, Catherine Parr) and was, in spite of his youth, determined to push for much further religious reforms than his father. Edward's reign saw increasing wars with Scotland; despite enjoying many battlefield victories the English were unable to follow through, as France (with whom Edward also warred frequently) backed Scotland financially. These inconclusive wars continued to put the crown in debt, as they had in the time of Edward's father. After the new Protestant doctrines were unveiled by Cranmer with the King's approval, Edward and his uncle oversaw the execution/imprisonment of several prominent Catholics who refused to acknowledge Edward as Head of the Church or accept his reforms. However, Edward's Protestant administration was as erratic as Henry's. Rivalry between his uncles Edward and Thomas Seymour resulted in the latter's execution for treason, and Edward Seymour himself was eventually executed on similar charges after his harsh policies incited a number of revolts. Edward replaced him as Lord Protector with the Earl of Northumberland. Edward became dangerously and unexpectedly ill in 1553 and died at age 15-16, without any issue. Edward VI's reign: January 1547 to July 1553 (6.5 years) The issue of Edward's successor: the Nine-Days Queen Determined- along with his Privy Council- to prevent Catholicism from being restored in England, Edward removed both his sisters from his succession in his will (he only intended to remove the Catholic Mary originally, but his councileers insisted he must either remove Elizabeth as well or neither of them). He and Northumberland instead named his distant cousin Lady Jane Grey (a Protestant granddaughter of his father's sister, Margaret Tudor) as his successor, and Jane was recognized as Queen by the Privy Council and Parliament (though she was never formally crowned). However, even most Protestants (initially) viewed Mary as Edward's most legitimate successor despite her Catholicism. Meanwhile, many pro-Catholic nobles were flocking to join Mary, who had fled London before she could be arrested; she was accompanied by her half-sister Elizabeth. Nine days after she was named Queen, Jane faced an overwhelming uprising in favor of Mary. As Mary, Elizabeth and their supporters marched on London, Jane's government supporters immediately deserted her and proclaimed Mary Queen Regnant of England on October I, 1553. Jane and Northumberland were swiftly deposed, imprisoned and finally executed in February 1554. Mary I: Burning the Reformation Mary's initial, overwhelming popularity soon weakened. A staunch Catholic, Mary was determined to halt the spread of Protestantism in England, and quickly had most of Edward's reforms reversed. She also had many of Edward's major Reformist supporters, including Archbishop Cranmer, imprisoned or executed, and installed her council with several old, conservative Catholics who had lost favor under her father and brother (such as Bishop Stephen Gardiner and Reginald Pole). After a failed revolt led by the pro-Lutheran Thomas Wyatt the Younger, Mary ruthlessly increased her persecution of the Reformation, ordering hundreds of Protestants burned at the stake as heretics- earning herself the hateful nickname, "Bloody Mary". In terms of foreign policy, Mary further made herself unpopular by taking increasingly submissive actions towards Rome and Spain- not the least of which was her marriage to the Spanish King Philip II, her first cousin once removed. Though Mary loved Philip, he seldom visited her and viewed the marriage only as a means to gain influence over England. She further weakened England's prestige by failing to hold onto England's last territory in France (the port of Calais) which the French seized during yet another war with England and Spain. Despite her blunders concerning her own people, Mary's administration did begin the work of repairing England's damaged economy, and paying the staggering debts accumulated during the reigns of her father and brother. A new coin system was introduced, trade within Spain's vast empire proved bountiful, and with no more need to sustain Calais, England's military expenses fell considerably. However, Mary also reduced the private finances of the Crown by sending considerable revenues to the Pope (which had been denied under her father and brother). Although Mary was less enthusiastic about expanding England's navy compared to her father (her brother had all but abandoned Henry's shipbuilding program) she did have her warships improved, to match the capabilities of their Spanish counterparts. She also settled further English colonists in the Irish midlands (outside the small territory her father had controlled, known as "the Pale"), increasing England's influence over Ireland. Mary's reign, unfortunately for the harvests, was consistently wet, causing several famines and furthering unrest despite her attempts to improve the economy. When Mary became ill in 1558 after two false pregnancies, she was forced to concede that she would not have children; this left Elizabeth as the only viable option for the throne, as the English people would never recognize the Spanish Phillip as their King. Mary's initial alliance with Elizabeth had frayed after Wyatt's rebellion, as Mary suspected her Protestant half-sister (and the daughter of her former enemy, Anne Boleyn) of plotting to usurp her. In fact, she had placed Elizabeth in the Tower of London and threatened her with execution, though she later reduced this to house arrest because of lack of evidence. Now on her deathbed, however, Mary was forced to recognize Elizabeth as her only heir and successor. On November 17th, Mary died, and Elizabeth became Queen Regnant. Mary I's reign: July 1553 to November 1558 (5.25 years) Elizabeth I: a Queen of Balance The most intelligent and moderate-minded of her siblings, Elizabeth was determined not to embrace one religious pole over the other- exemplified by her motto, "I see, and say nothing". Although she was a staunch Protestant, she refused to attack her own people for their choice of worship- which would have motivated Catholics to revolt against her, just as Protestants had against her sister Mary. After restoring most of her brother's religious doctrines, Elizabeth implemented a policy in which Catholics would be allowed to worship as they chose, but would be fined if they did not worship in the Church of England, and those who did not accept her authority over England's clergy would forfeit their goods but not be arrested or executed. Elizabeth was careful to listen to her advisors and not impulsively have them executed for failures, as her father had; her government was mainly led by her Chief Minister Sir William Cecil and Francis Walsingham, her spymaster. Elizabeth's reign- often referred to as England's 'Golden Age'- was marked by many good harvests and incresingly efficient agricultural techniques. It also featured a vast increase in foreign trade routes overseas (including with Holland, France, Russia and the Ottoman Empire), increasing the revenue of the crown and allowing her to pay off any debts she incurred by borrowing money from Parliament. The explorations of many of Elizabeth's 'privateers' (government-funded English pirates) and their attempts to start overseas trading posts and colonies marked England's first attempts at a colonial empire in India and America, although lasting colonies would not be established until her successor James I. Innovative and tolerant though she was, Elizabeth continued to face many threats during her 44 years as Queen, and her patience was often severely tested. In 1570, the Pope declared Elizabeth a heretic and excommunicated her, declaring that her Catholic subjects were following an illegitimate claimant. This gave many Catholics in Ireland (where Elizabeth was attempting to increase English hegemony by settling English plantation owners and deploying troops) an excuse to rise in revolt against her, especially when the Spanish began backing the rebellions financially. Although the Irish noble-led revolts were defeated and Elizabeth's control over Ireland did increase- giving England control over Ulster, Ireland's most rebellious region- the constant rebellions and reprisals drove a permanent wedge of hatred between the Protestant English and the Catholic Irish. Meanwhile, at home Elizabeth faced several attempts to oust her by assassination from Catholic extremists. She was determined never to marry (despite constant pressure from her advisers, who viewed it necessary for her to produce a child and heir), earning her the nickname "The Virgin Queen". Assuming they could somehow claim the throne in the event of her death without a successor, her maternal cousin, the Duke of Norfolk, plotted with her paternal cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, to oust her and restore 'legitimate' Catholic rule to England. The plot was exposed by Walsingham, and Elizabeth had Norfolk beheaded and Mary taken hostage, leaving Scotland cowed by England. After several more attempts to assassinate Elizabeth in favor of Mary, Elizabeth reluctantly had Mary executed in 1587, to the anger of her Catholic subjects. By far the greatest threat to Elizabeth's power, however, was her sister's widower King Philip II. The Catholic Spanish Empire was at the height of its' power during most of the 16th century, and Philip was determined to maintain the dominance over England he had held during Mary's reign; he was angered by repeated attacks on his trade routes and treasure ships by Elizabeth's privateers. The execution of Mary Queen of Scots- removing the last Catholic candidate for the throne- was the last straw for Philip, and he assembled a massive invasion fleet known as the Spanish Armada in 1588. However, the fleet was destroyed by a combination of foul weather and superior English ship caliber and naval commanders; Elizabeth had continued her father's work in strengthening the Royal Navy, and her victory bolstered Protestant England's reputation abroad. Meanwhile, Elizabeth increased her ties with Spain's rival France, and with Dutch Protestants in the Low Countries. Although her army's attempts to drive the Spanish out of Flanders failed miserably, England continued to harass Spanish power overseas for the remainder of her reign; while Philip remained by far the most powerful monarch in Europe, Elizabeth was a constant thorn in his side. In Elizabeth's late years, her personality became increasingly vain, her temper shorter and her policies harsher and more erratic, leading to growing unpopularity and a gradual decrease of the economy; nonetheless, Elizabeth had been frugal with her resources, and she established a level of credit with Parliament. England's national identity and culture continued to flourish, especially with the establishment of theatrical and literary figures such as Charles Marlowe and William Shakespeare. Elizabeth's death (March 24, 1603) was received with mourning by the vast majority of the English people. Although she never named a successor, her Privy Council arranged to give the English crown to King James of Scotland (James was the son of Mary, Elizabeth's Catholic cousin and rival, yet he had been raised Protestant at Elizabeth's direction). This succession united Scotland to England, creating the nation of Britain. With Elizabeth dead and childless, the Tudor dynasty came to an end, succeeded by the Scottish House of Stuart under James I. Elizabeth I's reign: November 1558 to March 1603 (44.25 years) Members of the House of Tudor by birth (shown in the Series): Henry VIII, King of England and Ireland, second born son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Princess Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, sister to Henry. Princess Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry and Catherine of Aragon, his first wife. Later to become Mary I, Queen of England and Ireland. Princess Elizabeth Tudor, daugher of Henry and Anne Boleyn, his second wife. Later to become Elizabeth I, Queen of England and Ireland. Prince Edward Tudor, son of Henry and Jane Seymour, his third wife. Later to become Edward VI, King of England and Ireland. Members of House of Tudor by marriage (Shown in the series): Catherine of Aragon, Queen Consort of England- first wife of Henry VIII and mother of Queen Mary I. Anne Boleyn, Queen Consort of England- second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Jane Seymour, Queen Consort of England- third wife of Henry VIII and mother of King Edward VI. Anne of Cleves, Queen Consort of England- fourth wife of Henry VIII. Katherine Howard, Queen Consort of England- fifth wife of Henry VIII. Catherine Parr, Queen Consort (briefly Queen Regent) of England- sixth wife of Henry VIII. Illegitimate members of House of Tudor: Henry FitzRoy, Dike of Richmond- acknowledged bastard son of Henry VIII and Elizabeth Blount, his mistress. Gallery The Tudors - 4X01 - Lady Mary, Principe Edward e Elizabeth.jpg|The last three Tudor monarchs, clockwise: Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. All three were half-siblings, children of King Henry VIII The-Tudors-Mary-Elizabeth-tudor-history-31324230-392-392.jpg|The two Tudor Queens: Elizabeth and Mary Category:Noble Houses Category:House Tudor